46 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
are prepared, the wedge placed in the cleft, by 
which it is held open as the cions are adjusted as in 
fig. 5. Then to wax the graft, unroll from the waxed 
cloth a piece long enough, which will soon he 
learned, tear off a bit to go over the top, between the 
cions ; then a piece to go around this, if the cloth 
is two inches wide it may be divided into two pieces. 
All that is wanted is enough to completely cover 
every wounded and cut part of both stock and cion 
(fig. 6). The cloth will stick wherever it is applied 
by pressing it with the fingers; grease the fingers 
with lard before working with the wax, and wipe 
them before cutting other cions. A single trial 
will enable one to wax a graft better than a whole 
page would tell. A cion with with two good buds 
besides the lower one is long enough. 
Pruning .—Large branches may be cut away from 
fruit trees in mild weather. A saw should be used 
for this ; and the cut smoothed and covered with 
paint or melted grafting wax. The objects in prun¬ 
ing an old orchard, are to remove unhealthy 
branches, and to thin the tops of the trees, open¬ 
ing them for the access of sunlight and air. In 
case trees have grown one-sided, they may often be 
brought into good shape again by judicious pruning. 
Tree Planting .—The work of selecting the trees 
for planting should be done at once, that the 
nurserymen may have the orders in hand, and 
fill them promptly. Do not buy of tree peddlers, 
unless absolutely known to represent a reputable 
nursery. Most of them are frauds, and their state¬ 
ment of the value of new and high sounding varie¬ 
ties are fiction. A list of some of the best varieties 
of the various fruits, was given in the January 
number. Should the trees be frozen when they 
arrive, place them in a cool place to thaw slowly. 
The Canker-Worm .—On mild days, the canker- 
worms may make their appearance, and the females, 
which are wingless and always crawl, must be pre¬ 
vented from ascending the tree and depositing 
their eggs. The devices for effecting this are nu¬ 
merous ; they generally consist in placing some 
barrier around the trunk which the insects can 
not pass. Some have gutters of oil, others smooth 
surfaces which they can not travel. The simplest, 
and as effective as any, is stout paper smeared with 
tar or printer’s ink. Blowing dust and dead in¬ 
sects, will bridge them over in time, and to be ef¬ 
fective, they must be looked to every few days, 
and renewed as needed. The Tent Caterpillar's Eggs 
are deposited in rings on the small twigs of apple 
and other trees, near their ends, and can be readily 
seen on dull days; they should be cut off, taking 
the end of the twig, and burned, thus saving a 
much larger amount of work later in the season. 
r Flie Fruit Garden. 
That which has been said of selecting trees, in 
the “ Orchard and Nursery,” holds equally good in 
small fruits of the “Fruit Garden.” Select and 
order at once. Do not rely for a supply upon new 
and not thoroughly tested varieties. It is well to 
“take on trial,” some of the most promising sorts, 
and if they succeed, there will be a basis for future 
Increase by propagation. If indulged iu judiciously 
this experimenting with the “ new things,” is one 
of the chief pleasures of the fruit garden. 
Pruning that may have been left undone last fall, 
can be attended to now. Prune the Grape-vines 
on the first mild day, and long before the huds 
swell. The Currant and Gooseberry bushes need to 
have last year’s growth shortened, and the old 
stems thinned out before they start to grow. Give 
an application of manure or ashes between the rows. 
Strawberries may be planted in localities where the 
frost is out of the ground, as may also be done with 
Blackberries and Raspberries, both of which start to 
grow very early, and are better if planted in the fall. 
Kitchen and Market Garden. 
The great range of climate our country presents 
is shown by the fact that while one gardener is 
Poking forward for his work to commence in a 
month or two, another is tending his growing crops, 
and is thinking about markets and transportation. 
Wherever he may be, the successful gardener will 
be found in readiness for the busy season when it 
comes with its rush of work. Frequent inspection 
of the stored crops in the cellars is necessary as 
spring approaches to avoid loss from an excess of 
either heat or cold; the pits must be inspected 
to see that damage is not being done by mice. 
Roots still in the ground, as parsnips and salsify, 
should be dug as the thawing of the soil will per¬ 
mit. Such roots are improved by freezing, being 
kept fresh and made sweeter, and more tender. 
Cold Frames need daily attention, especially when 
the weather is warm, as there is danger of the 
plants starting too soon and being injured or killed 
by the return of severe cold. The sashes should be 
removed altogether on all mild days. 
Vegetable Plants. —There are so many persons who 
had rather buy the plants needed for the vegetable 
garden, that the few who desire to obtain a reputa¬ 
tion for always having a good supply can make the 
growing of them a source of considerable income. 
To such this is a suggestion in season. The 
Hot-Bed is the means of obtaining early plants in 
large quantities. To give all the details of the con¬ 
struction and care is not practicable in a journal. 
Every one who grows vegetables for sale should 
have a standard work at hand for frequent reference, 
such as Henderson’s “ Gardening for Profit,’ ’ Brill’s 
“ Farm Gardening and Seed Sowing,” and Quinn’s 
“Money iu the Garden.” Hot-beds should be 
started about six weeks before the time at which 
plants can be safely placed in the open ground—by 
the middle of this month for the latitude of New 
York City. In the American Agriculturist for Feb¬ 
ruary, 1877, the space devoted to Kitchen Garden 
Notes was almost entirely given up to the subject 
of hot-beds, and for fifteen cents, any one not pos¬ 
sessing that back number can procure, by sending 
to the Publishers, a full treatment of the subject. 
There is no Mystery about a hot-bed, yet farmers, 
and many others, do without this convenience, from 
some supposed difficulty in making and caring for 
it. Sashes, a few boards, and some horse manure, 
are the materials required. Regular hot-bed sashes 
are 3 by 6 feet, and may be bought ready glazed at 
the sash and blind factories; old window sashes 
will answer as a make-shift, but are far less conven¬ 
ient. Select a place sheltered by a building or fence 
from cold winds : dig a pit 2i feet deep, as wide as 
the sashes are long, aud as long as the number of 
sashes to be used require. Line this pit with rough 
boards nailed to posts driven down at the corners. 
The rear board should extend a foot above the sur¬ 
face, and the front one 4 inches above. The front 
or lower side should face the south. Nail strips 
from front to rear, for the sashes to slide upon. 
Heating Material. —Put in the bottom of the pit a 
layer of 6 inches of leaves, or corn litter ; then put 
on stable-manure, which should have been turned 
once or twice, to bring it to a state of uniform heat. 
Put on the manure evenly, and tramp it down ; the 
manure should come to within six inches of the top 
of the pit; upon this is to be placed six inches of 
fine, light soil, and the seeds sown in that, or prefer¬ 
ably put on two inches or so of common earth on 
which to set the boxes in which seeds are sown. 
Put on the sashes, and when the manure begins to 
heat, test it with a thermometer; when the heat is 
declining from 100°, seed may be sown in the soil, 
or the boxes in which they have been already sown 
should be placed in upon the surface of the hot-bed. 
When the Pants are Up, give them air every day 
by lifting the sashes at the rear, not forgetting to 
shut down the sashes at night; give water as needed. 
Boxes in Windows is an excellent way of starting 
plants for early setting, though it must necessarily 
be on a small scale. For a small garden a good 
supply may thus be procured. In sowing the seeds 
avoid putting them in too deep—a half-inch is 
ample for all, and a less depth is better for the 
small seeds. Press the soil closely around the seed. 
Varieties to Sow. —The first plants to go into open 
ground are : Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Lettuce. 
For early cabbage, “Jersey Wakefield ” is the lead¬ 
ing variety, seconded by “ Early York,” and a sec¬ 
ond early is “ Winningstadt,” for general use. Of 
cauliflower, the “ Early Erfurt ” is standard ; and 
the “ Tennis Ball ” and “ Boston Market ” are the 
favorite, leading market sorts of early lettuce. 
Implements .—The time spent in repairing and 
painting tools is always well employed, at the same 
time one can take an inventory of stock and see 
what is needed for the coming season. A seed- 
sower should be in use, even in a garden of moder¬ 
ate extent, and now is the time to get that and 
other implements. In fact, there is much work 
during this month that comes under the head of 
Getting Ready .—Bean poles may be wanted, and 
there is no better time than now to haul them 
from the woods to a convenient place near where 
they are to be used, and the brush for peas should 
be procured before the leaves start. The man who 
so plans that his season of work extends through 
the whole year rather than just a few months when 
the crops are growing,is the wise and successful one. 
Flower Garden and Lawn, 
There is not much work outside during the win¬ 
ter months. When heavy snows come—and they 
often do in February—the evergreens must be 
looked to, and the snow removed while it is fresh, 
and before it bends down and breaks the limbs. If 
the snow is deep it will be necessary to shovel it 
away from the lower branches of evergreens. If 
manure has not been spread upon the lawn it can 
be done now, but it should be well rotted and en¬ 
tirely free from weed seeds. Make all the plans 
for new paths, drives, flower-beds, etc., and if these 
are to be of much extent, draw up a plan or map 
of the grounds as a guide in the work. Cannas and 
other large roots stored in the cellar will need at¬ 
tention, and all decaying parts removed. The seeds 
for choice annuals should be selected, and for early 
growth may be started in window boxes, as noted 
for vegetable seeds under the Kitchen Garden. 
Greenhouse and Window Plants. 
This is the month when the greenhouse and win¬ 
dow plants are most appreciated, and the care 
of previous months is giving its best returns. 
Bulbs of Hyacinths, Narcissus, etc., may be 
brought from the cellar and forced into bloom; 
and a succession of flowers may be continued by 
still sowing seeds of Mignonette, Sweet Alyssum, 
Candy-tuft, and other annuals of a like nature. 
Cuttings .—The boxes, sand, and soil for the prop¬ 
agation of the desired Verbenas, Geraniums, etc., 
will need to be provided at this time. 
General Care .— Water as the plants are found to 
need it. Pay special attention to ventilation, that 
there may be a plenty of fresh air, and at the same 
time that the plants are not unduly exposed to sud¬ 
den changes of out-door temperature. The leaving 
of the sashes and windows open for an hour, or 
even less, may so chill the plants as to injure them. 
Insects .—Use tobacco water for the Green Fly; 
thorough washing kills the Red Spider. Mealy Bug 
is best treated by picking off with a pointed stick. 
Worms in the pots are best removed by turning the 
ball out when the worms may be found. Syringe 
all the plants thoroughly at frequent intervals. 
The Jack-Ass Rabbit in California.—In 
speaking of the Jack-ass Rabbit iu January last, we said 
that the animal was not found in California, a statement 
which is perfectly accurate, so far as concerns the animal 
we were writing about, but not correct according to Cal¬ 
ifornia customs. As several California friends have 
pointed out what they consider an error, we will briefly 
state the facts, which are these ; the name Jack-ass Rab¬ 
bit was originally given to Lepus Callotis, an animal 
with the geographical distribution given in the article 
referred to. We have the high authority of Prof. Baird, 
for stating (Pacific R. R. Reports , Vol. VHI, page 591). 
“ It has not yet been found in California.” There is how¬ 
ever, in California, and abundant there, a related species, 
Lepus Califomicus, the California Hare, to which it seems 
the Californians have also given the name of “Jack-ass 
Rabbit,” a name which properly belongs to another ani¬ 
mal. We were abundantly aware of the existence of the 
California Hare, having bunted and eaten it; ourmistake 
was in not knowing that this, as well as the Texan species, 
was called Jack-ass Rabbit; common names are a source 
of confusion among animals, as well as among plants. 
